The present invention relates generally to diagnostic assay systems and methods and, in particular, diagnostic assay systems and methods for recording luminescent activities on image recording material in a reliable and economical manner.
Recording the occurrence of luminescent reactions, such as of the chemiluminescent type for qualitative and quantitative results on image recording devices is well known in the diagnostic assay art. A class of analytical instruments referred to as luminometers are typically used to conduct and record luminescent reactions of, for instance, a biological fluid containing a reagent of interest, such as an analyte, and a reagent in an assay element. Examples of these approaches include single-sample luminometers fitted with photographic multipliers; single-sample luminometers fitted with solid-state detectors; multiple sample luminometers; automatic luminometers fitted with imaging systems based on CCD cameras; and photographic camera luminometers. Devices using photographic films of the conventional and self-developing type for recording luminescent activity are described in, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos.: 4,863,689; and 5,035,866. Heretofore known prior art in this field tends to be limited in a number of ways, such as being expensive due to among other factors expensive electronics, requiring relatively significant training in order to operate and being relatively cumbersome in construction and/or use.
Despite the existence of a wide variety of known diagnostic luminescent type testing systems and approaches, however, it is, nevertheless, desired to improve upon the overall ease, versatility, and reliability of such systems and their testing procedures, as well as reduce overall costs associated with their construction and use.